Top 5 cheap eats in Scarborough
Published September 19, 2025 at 1:12 pm
Affordable food is abundant in the many glorious strip malls of Scarborough, but to find great deals on the best eats, you have to know specifically where to go.
Not all of the neighbourhood’s delicious Indian, Caribbean, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Middle Eastern and many other types of restaurants are created equal, and there are some places that really knock it out of the park when it comes to tasty food on a tight budget.
In exchange for a bargain, you may need to line up sometimes and there may not be a place to sit and dine in at most restaurants, but your wallet and your tastebuds will thank you.
Here are some of the top cheap eats in Scarborough.
5 – Babu
A hot table extends forever and shelves of snacks and desserts are stacked here. They have great deals on all kinds of Tamil, Hakka and Indian eats, with staples like hoppers, idly and mutton rolls priced at just a few bucks.
They have low-priced combos of a mutton roll and tea, breakfast combos, lunch combos and weekend specials.
4 – Silver Spoon
This Indian restaurant has daily specials along with great deals on classic curries, chicken lollipops and containers packed to bursting with biryani, but spend a couple of bucks more and you can treat yourself to an ample portion of finger fish.
It’s fried to a crispy golden brown with mild white flesh on the inside, and comes served with a tangy, slightly spicy dipping sauce.
3 – Mona’s Roti
Good deals come in compact packages at this Caribbean restaurant that’s known for stuffing an unbelievable amount of filling into stretchy roti that are made by hand all day in full view of where you order.
The veggie roti is a great deal because it comes with your choice of three kinds of veggies: spinach, pumpkin, chana, potato or curry mango for a dollar extra. You get a generous helping of each kind of veggie, and the dhalpuri roti with a crumbly layer of split pea inside adds extra bulk.
2 – Chris Jerk
The jerk shawarma poutine is the legendary go-to at this restaurant that fuses some of Scarborough’s favourite cuisines in a uniquely Canadian way.
The bold, aromatic seasonings of jerk and shawarma come together in the shredded meat that’s smothered in a rich, thick, deep brown gravy, all on top of fries with melty shredded cheese.
1 – Great Fountain
Head inside a quiet little mall to find the food court that houses this gem of a Chinese restaurant.
The spot’s gigantic sign and dazzling array of laminated photos of menu items (each ascribed a letter and number for easy ordering) greet you as soon as you enter the food court, which is thankfully equipped with plenty of tables. Most options at Great Fountain are generously portioned with large quantities of meat or veggies and a heaping helping of rice or noodles, and there’s even more value added by the lemon tea and soup that comes with most meals.
It’s practically impossible to choose just a few options from the many on offer, but one great go-to is the iconic garlic fried chicken on fried rice which comes with large, juicy slices of bone-in fried chicken on a fluffy bed of flavourful rice, all set off by a rich black pepper sauce. You also can’t miss with their salted egg yolk turnip cakes, which come heaped in a huge pile.
